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Buying American In the Mass Market, Part Two

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

Back in May when I posted Part One of this series, I didn’t imagine waiting until August to do Part Two. Truth is, though, that it’s hard to find good examples of everyday (mass market) goods made in the US. They’re out there, sure, but too often you’ve got to dig. All the more reason to keep these companies in the back of your mind and kick them a few bucks when buying time comes.

1. Maglite flashlights

These things are so ubiquitous, and so generally acknowledged as a quality item, that it’s easy to forget (or never have known) that they’re still made right here in the US. Indeed, the company has a strong commitment to US manufacturing, which you can read about here.

Anyone who’s ever owned a Maglite, as I have, can tell you that they offer a great mix of quality and value.

2. Weber Grills

Summer’s almost over, sure, but cookout weather will linger for at least a couple more months. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and get a Weber. Preferably the iconic kettle grill. Still made here, still awesome.

And remember: charcoal > gas.

3. KitchenAid Stand Mixer

This one was a surprise to me, but according to moneywatch.com the classic KitchenAid Stand Mixer is, indeed, US-made. I can’t vouch for this one personally but I do know that if/when I decide I need a mixer, this is now the one I’m going to get.

4. Filson outdoor clothing/gear

Like I said above, summer’s almost over. Enter Filson, an icon of rugged Americana since 1897. Not for everyone, surely, but a quintessential “glad it’s there when you need it” brand. Good for your next camping trip, autumn hike, or job interview at Woodberry Kitchen (I kid, I kid).

5. Wiffle Ball

God help us the day they stop making Wiffle in the US. Enough said.

Note: comments have been weird lately. If you leave one, it might not show up. I believe, however, that I’ll still see it.

Posted in americana, business, essentials, living well, made here | 2 Comments »

Buying American In the Mass Market, Part One

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Whenever I find myself in position to purchase a product I want but don’t necessarily need, I check the label. Specifically I look to see where said product was made. If I see that it was made here — in America — I’m far more likely to make the discretionary buy than I would be if it’s just another “Made in China.”

Why? Because I live here. Simple. The American economy is my economy and I like to support it when I can. I’m aware of the complex economic arguments that circle around this issue and I’m certainly not advocating a withdrawal from the global economy. All I’m saying is that when I’m spending my “maybe” dollars I’m generally trying to spend them here.

I know I’m not alone in that, which means I’m also not alone in understanding how hard it is. Over the past few months, though, I’ve purchased a handful of very nice, American-made products that I think are worth a mention. Eventually I hope to expand this list and turn it into a kind of resource (thus the “Part One” in the title of this post). For now, here are four:

1. Case Knives

As I’ve stated before, everyone should carry a knife. It’s a basic matter of readiness.

I picked up a Case pocket knife on a whim at Lowe’s one day to replace my trustworthy Victorinox. The US-made pedigree was, at the time, the main reason why. Since then I’ve been more than pleased with the choice, so much so that I bought a second one. These knives are durable, sharp, well-constructed, and pleasant to hold.

2. Tramontina Cookware

The Tramontina website isn’t much and, as a result, I don’t know much about the company. What I do know is that I was at Costco one day and I saw a US-made frying pan I could use. I bought it and have no complaints.

From what I can gather, Tramontina doesn’t manufacture in the US exclusively. Regardless, I can vouch for that frying pan in a big way.

3. Anchor Hocking Glassware

I was at Target, thinking I could use a replacement for the old plastic measuring cup I had at home. Not that what I had wasn’t still functional, it was just heavily worn. So I picked up what looked like a damn nice piece from Anchor, and I saw it’s made in the US.

Sold.

4. Zippo Lighters

I realize, alas, that smoking is no longer in vogue. As a result, a lot of folks probably don’t see the need to own or carry a lighter. That’s a mistake.

A ready source of flame is, like a pocket knife, smart to have on hand. Maybe you don’t smoke — someone you know might. Maybe you need to light candles for a dinner party. Maybe you need to handle fireworks duties on July 4th. Maybe you’re camping and need to start a fire. Maybe you’re staring down a zombie invasion and need some torches. Whatever. Having a quality lighter is just good strategy.

No better option than Zippo. Classic, iconic, and made in PA. ‘Nuff said.

As I said above, I’d like to turn this preliminary list into a resource. Please pass along your recommendations for everyday, US-made goods that you use and enjoy.

One note on that: comments are moderated and don’t show up automatically. As long as it’s not spam, though, it will get posted.

Posted in americana, business, essentials, living well, made here | 1 Comment »

Gary Stewart, Forgotten Honky Tonk King

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Friday, April 1st, 2011

Within the catch-all designation known as “country” music there has always existed a range of styles. Cowboy music, country-folk, pop country, country-blues, Americana, Western swing. A voice more expert than mine could probably cite a dozen.

One such style — mostly forgotten* in today’s country scene — is Honky Tonk. Most folks probably know it, if they know it, via the practitioners of “outlaw” country in the seventies and eighties. Guys like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, and David Allan Coe. Honky Tonk is the rough, rebellious edge of country music. It’s the rock & roll side of country. It’s the scruffy, workingman’s answer to the mainstream and the middle-of-the-road.

As writer Nik Cohn put it in a 1976 article for New York magazine:

“Traditionally, it has been the music that Country makes when it comes to the cities. Farm boys leave the land and go to work in factories, on construction sites, and oil drills. Their world changes and so, inevitably, do their songs. Out go the church, the family, the village community; in comes honky-tonking.”

Within the forgotten style there are also forgotten artists, none more deserving of a contemporary renaissance than Gary Stewart.

I came to Stewart a few months ago when I heard “Whiskey Trip” for the first time. The chorus grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Takin’ me a whiskey trip
Loving her with every sip
I’m just like a sailing ship
Waiting for the winds to blow

Whiskey, you’re a friend of mine
You can blow away my mind
To some other place and time
Taking me a whiskey trip

The music made me embarrassed to not already know the name. For in Stewart one finds all the same things that made Jennings and Nelson and Haggard into legends, and maybe even a little something extra.

That something — which is admittedly hard to pinpoint — is probably the reason Stewart isn’t more widely known. He’s just a bit more idiosyncratic than most of his contemporaries, a little harder to decipher. I wish I could say exactly why but the truth is you have to listen. If you like Jennings et al you’ll probably like Stewart, and you’ll probably understand exactly what I mean.

Below, two clips to get started. If you’re at all intrigued I highly recommend downloading The Essential Gary Stewart and riding on from there.

Let the lyrics sit with you for a bit. This guy was the truth.

*Mostly, but not entirely.

Posted in americana, music | Comments Off

Alfred Eisenstaedt: the Martha’s Vineyard Photos, Part Two

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Back in early October, you might recall, I posted the first set from my Eisenstaedt discovery at the LIFE archives. Summer was a less-distant memory then, something we could still feel if not quite touch. Today the temperature threatens never to rise above freezing and the first signs of spring are at least five or six weeks away. January is the toughest of months.

No better time to dig back in and offer up another batch of the great photographer’s scenes from the northeast coast. Enjoy.

(All credit/copyright/etc. to the Google/LIFE archive.)

Posted in americana, icons, photography | 1 Comment »

In the New Year

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Monday, January 3rd, 2011

From “The Carpenter,” a publication of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

Yes, let our New Year’s resolution be, that we will be loyal to the cause, give proper thought to all matters before action and go at it in real earnest, not in that halfhearted earnestness that cannot be relied upon, and something will surely be accomplished.

January, 1910.

Posted in advice, americana, living well | Comments Off

What About Bogart?

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

Surfing channels the other day, I stumbled upon an old movie. High Sierra to be exact, a 1941 noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino. I watched for about twenty minutes and it was entertaining enough. Good, actually. All the while, though, I couldn’t shake a question: what should I make of Humphrey Bogart?

There’s always something odd about watching movies from the 40s or 50s. Acting was a different craft then, more mannered and less natural than what we’re accustomed to today. It’s normal enough that Bogart doesn’t seem real because nobody from that era seems real. Still, there’s something different.

There’s a level on which he seems, to this day, unimpeachably cool. The man could wear a suit, for sure, and there’s plenty to admire in the effortless and stylish way he smokes a cigarette or carries a handgun. He’s in control and untouchable — there’s no denying the strength of his presence.

Yet when watching him act it’s hard to shake the feeling that he’s also, on some level, completely ridiculous. I actually witnessed him drop the line “yeah, yeah, blame it on the dame.” It was too funny to take seriously. If you use the word “dame” today — assuming you’re not talking about Judi Dench — you’re going to sound silly. Bogart sounded silly.

The line’s the line and that isn’t his fault, but I can’t shake the disconnect. The problem, best I can figure, is that Bogart is simply, unfortunately, of his time. To understand the shadow he cast while becoming a legend doesn’t come naturally today. Styles have changed too much, and our impression is as colored by the parodies and impressions as it is by the work. Long gone are the days when he was Humphrey Bogart. Today, you almost have to put the name in quotes.

Therein lies a lesson about the fate of icons. To do interesting work that lasts is to surrender control of that work and submit to the fates of culture and history. There’s no guarantee of fair treatment there. Had Bogart come along in the age of McQueen and Newman he might very well have outpaced them both — and all of their peers.

Which makes me wonder: will there come a time when guys like McQueen and Newman are likewise regarded as anachronisms? Versions of something great that no longer seem relevant?

Probably so. I don’t want to believe that, but I bet there are folks who still can’t understand how Bogart lost the mantle of standard-bearer. Even that which we regard as classic eventually spends time being irrelevant.

It’s cyclical, though, and something tells me Bogart might be poised for another run of good mojo. You can’t keep a guy like that down forever.

Posted in americana, film, icons | Comments Off

Alfred Eisenstaedt: the Martha’s Vineyard Photos, Part One

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Back to the LIFE archives we go, this time for something completely unexpected: an intimate look at the New England coast courtesy of legendary photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt (whose work you have no doubt encountered before).

I found these images quite by accident and it turns out the collection runs hundreds (if not thousands) of photos deep. From that I’ve pulled about 40 of my favorites and set them aside for presentation.

Generally speaking, photos of Martha’s Vineyard shouldn’t and wouldn’t excite me much. I think of it as a moneyed town and little more, probably because I’ve never been there. That’s exactly why I dig these. It’s a testament to Eisenstaedt’s skill that the photos are about something much more interesting than leisure or privilege. These are, foremost, American photos. Whatever Martha’s Vineyard is, I love what Eisenstaedt did with it.

I’ll release these in batches of nine whenever the mood strikes. There isn’t a dud in the bunch, so enjoy.

(All credit/copyright/etc. to the Google/LIFE archive.)

Posted in americana, icons, photography | 1 Comment »

Three Surf Cities

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Friday, September 17th, 2010

For your Friday/weekend listening enjoyment, three surf cities:

The Walkmen
Angela Surf City, from Lisbon:

The Jesus and Mary Chain
Kill Surf City, from Barbed Wire Kisses (or the April Skies EP):

Jan and Dean
Surf City, via Best Of:

Posted in americana, entertainment, music | Comments Off

Why (and How) You Should Spend More Here

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Over the first few months of writing this blog I’ve revealed, among other things, an obvious interest in crafted, US-made goods. These things excite me. I value the work of craftspeople and domestic businesses and I believe their work is important. I figure maybe it’s time to explain.

I don’t like to draw hard lines but I’ll say this: if a choice exists between a handcrafted and/or US-made product vs. a foreign product, the former is nearly always a better option. Why? Because work is the economy. If people here aren’t working then they’re not spending, and bad things happen if they’re not spending. It affects livelihoods. Which means even less spending…which means even less work…and on and on. Obviously that’s an oversimplification but it’s true at the core. Buying things made here supports the people who work here, which supports the system that keeps this nation of ours churning forward. However flawed it may be.

It’s not a black-and-white issue and I’m not here to claim that there isn’t value in the work done by people in other countries. Of course there is. I’m not against the global economy — it’s a functional reality and it’s not automatically bad. It’s important to remember, though, that every purchase is an investment.

I believe in supporting the upstart, the entrepreneur, the independent. That’s not an argument against anything, it’s an argument for something.

There’s no getting around the fact that the kinds of goods I’m discussing usually (but not always) cost more. A lot more in some cases. I know that’s tough and I’m not suggesting that anyone other than the very rich could or should attempt to purchase only this one class of goods. It’s not realistic.

What I’m suggesting is consideration of the issue and an attempt to, where possible, prioritize. I buy plenty of foreign goods and will, like most people, continue to do so. But I’m moving the balance slowly. I’m looking for opportunities to buy local and/or US-made. When I’m faced with the choice of “now” vs. “better” I’m trying hard to wait a little while and go with the latter. Piece-by-piece I’m making decisions that help prop up artisans, craftspeople, and the US economy as a whole. I do what I can and that’s all I’d ever ask of anyone else.

Maybe there’s an argument against it. Actually, I’m sure there is — it’s a complex issue. Even when I hear that argument, though (and the comments are open), I doubt my priorities will change.

I side with the people who are making a go of it. And my hunch is that on some level, they side with me. That goes a long way.

(photo via Flickr user Markusram)

Posted in americana, business, living well | 4 Comments »

Vintage American Ink: US Navy Tattoos

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Monday, August 16th, 2010

This is, arguably, my best LIFE archive find: tattoo images circa 1940 featuring US Navy sailors. Shot by Carl Mydans, a photographer of some note whose broader body of work is definitely worth checking out.

If you can’t make it out that first one reads “Hold Fast.”

Indeed, my friends. Indeed.